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I have made a vow this year to only give things that I have made myself. Though, already this year I have failed, since I won’t be able to bang out anything awesome for my Dad’s birthday in 3 days. In the spirit of the idea though I have made two items already for my Gift Closet (of doom).  I have had a very productive few days since I decided to work on a craft project every day for an entire year. I am determined to fill this closet with things so I can pluck something out when appropriate.

Tree realized

Obviously I can not post pictures of everything I make, or “everyone” will see the sweet stuff I have made for them!

Yet Another Tree

Yeah, for some reason I am obsessed with trees.

xo,

H

March 14th, 2011 | Category: Uncategorized | Comments (2)

You know the sound the radio makes when you are skipping really fast through a bunch of stations, searching for the one you want that is at the other end of the dial? That is what my brain sounds like usually. Or lately. Or usually lately. I can not seem to find focus for longer than a few hours on any one project.  I had planned on spending all of my time out in the shop, but that has proven tricky. Either the metal isn’t in me when I have time, or when I am really feeling it, some other life requirement gets in the way. Pesky children, always needing mothering!  Rather than trying to force focus on metal work  the plan for the year is to spend some time every single day working on any project. I’ve got so many of them floating around in my head!

Concept Tree

I got myself a little sketch book and have been filling it with ideas. Since I have such a huge stash of stuff in my craft room I am trying to focus on projects, at the moment anyway, where I don’t need to buy anything. I am pretty excited to see how this works out!

xo,

H

March 14th, 2011 | Category: Uncategorized | Comments (1)

My blacksmith hero is Dorothy Stiegler. I saw her at the ABANA conference in 2003 give a demo forging bronze flowers. During the demo she mentioned that she didn’t start blacksmithing until after she turned 32 and her kids were grown enough that she could spend time in her shop. I have held onto those words since I heard them, repeating them to myself as I sat trapped under babies for 6 years. Finally, with the addition of our nanny and our completed, fully decked out metal shop, I have found my way again. I have had ideas spinning around in my head like crazy for the past few weeks in anticipation of the holidays being over and the nanny’s schedule getting nailed down. Today I spent a blissful 5 hours working on one of the projects. As usual, I jumped in neck deep. I was inspired by a beautiful Christmas display I saw at the Seattle Center the other night. It was a 20 foot (or so) illuminated tree made entirely of lighted beach ball sized balls. I am making a sort of random mesh out of welding rod. Root system, trunk, branches and foliage, reaching about 5 feet tall. Today I finished the roots and got the beginnings of a trunk started.

Tree #2 root system

Tree #2 root system

I have had so much fun today and been so energized, that I kind of fell like I have been doing something wrong. This is the only thing in my life that I have been instinctively good at; I understand how it works like it is an extension of my own arm. I love it.

xo

H

December 27th, 2010 | Category: Uncategorized | Comments (1)

It’s time for this craft blog to morph into an everything blog. I do so many more things than just crafting, and, I need the practice writing. Since I have only one or two readers, I don’t have to worry about offending anyone. I still insist on abiding by my no picture no post rule.

So, we got a kitten. It has been on the agenda since our last unsuccessful adoption a few years ago. We got a cat for Q at the animal shelter in Tacoma. We had gone in for a kitten but after telling the volunteer about our dogs, she basically strong armed us into getting a grown up cat. When we brought her home, our worst fears were realized,  she would have none of it and promptly moved out of the house. After hanging around on the sidewalk for a few weeks, one of our neighbors took her in and that was that. Q has never forgiven us for it.

This summer, we started considering trying again, but our littlest monster was far to aggressive with the dogs so we set the goal of getting one for Christmas. It wasn’t looking too good until the other night when we observed him at an aunts house around her cat. I realized that cats can take care of their personal space much better than dogs can. It will only take a few swats from a paw to convince him to be extra nice.

During a particularly productive Sunday we decided to make a stop at the animal shelter and see if there were any kittens. We got a lecture, again, about the benefits of adult cats, but managed to escape intact and found ourselves a perfectly well rounded little one. She is totally curious, playful and cuddly. She purrs like a buzz-saw. I am completely in love! Penny hasn’t met her yet, but I think that they will get along swimmingly. Hopefully I will be able to post a picture of them cuddling soon.

Three hours after being spayed!

Oh, and the name. We were in the car after picking her out, trying to come up with a name. Q suggested Battlestar Galactica, which immediately lead to Starbuck. My absolute favorite female character of all time. The kids were pissed and keep calling her Tracey. I am sticking with my insistence that since I am the mom, I get to name the dependents.

xo,

H

December 21st, 2010 | Category: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

I am in the midst of a midlife crisis. The stresses of being a mother and a stay at home one at that, have been weighing me down. Since I quit derby I have kind of failed at finding another outlet for the independent person that dominates my personality. Now that the cold weather is here, at least I feel more capable of being productive. Unfortunately I am kind of befuddled as to what I should be doing with myself.

I have a confirmed talent for moving to within a 5 block radius of great independent yarn shops, and have been haunting the one by my house. It is actually a dangerous city block for me. There is a boutique meat store, a cute little kids clothing consignment shop and a yarn shop, one next to the other, right on the route I take to get the kids to and from school. Dangerous. They all know me now, and soon, no doubt, we will be on a first name basis.

So I have been buying skeins of  pretty yarn and trying to figure out how to make hats and scarves for myself and the fam. For some reason crochet patterns baffle me so I have been winging it. I have made and unmade about a dozen over the course of the last month. Gus got two pretty good ones, though my favorite has been lost and I have no photographic evidence of its existence, so you will have to take my word for it. The one I made for Asa is the best so far. Quite beautiful if I don’t say so myself. I am hoping to make some for my sweet little nieces if I ever get their head measurements from their mother (hint, hint). Perhaps I could sell them. Asa told me that a classmate BEGGED her for the hat I made. That pleased me.

I decided several months ago to go to some sort of DIY craft fair this winter with a bunch of hair pretties to sell, but that has kind of fizzled thanks to my crisis. I suppose I still have time to get in on one before Christmas though, if only I can force myself to do it.

I will apologize to you, nonexistent reader, for the crappy pictures. But you know my policy; No post without pictures.

Hearts Flowers Hair Pretties

Flowers

Pretty Hat for Asa

Gus Modeling

Love and love,

H

November 3rd, 2010 | Category: Making Stuff | Leave a comment

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to experience one of the best days of my life. Nothing compared to getting married or having my kids of course, but it was certainly up high on my list. I got to spend a day cooking with a professional chef. My cousin Samantha finally married her awesome man Brian. Sam’s sister, my cousin, Megan is married to a great guy who has been a chef for about 10 years. Jeremy and I have always bonded over cooking.

I love cooking- it fits right in with my general love of making things- and I feel like I can say that over the years I have gotten pretty good at it. I am a firm believer in the notion that you can never know enough and the moment you decide that you have nothing more to learn, is the moment that your ego has gotten too big for its britches and needs a good spanking. But I digress…

Jeremy has proven over and over to be great at what he does and his attitude in the kitchen was fantastic. He treated me like I was fully competent to handle whatever issues that needed to be tended to. With gentle guidance, he saw to it that I had a hand in almost every one of the 11 dishes we put out. When he presented me with a chef’s coat at the start of the day I felt like a little girl on Christmas morning! I did in fact, keep it on all day- even after I changed into my party dress! It was such a great day. I can’t wait to find an excuse to do it again.

And for your viewing pleasure, some mustache pics…

Hayla and beautiful Iris

Coy

xo

August 13th, 2010 | Category: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

So the blog has taken a back burner in my life.

In the past year we have dealt with…A huge move; I am convinced that it was the biggest in the history of the world! A major remodel of the old house. It was at least 5 months of work that we pulled off in about 4 weeks. General dealing with raising three kids under the age of 10. The death of our beloved Great Dane, Peter Peter Pumpkineater. And I am sure I could go on, but I won’t.

Another problem with the blogging is that I refuse to post a blog without a photo or two and I can not for the life of me figure out how to re-size the pictures I have taken of all the crafting I have done over the past year. Kelli, who has been kicking my ass at blogging, even downloaded some program onto my laptop that does it and I still cant figure it out. If I were to be honest, I haven’t given it much of a try because of the overwhelmingly pressing nature of everything else going on in my life. But in a fit of nervous energy the other day I made a big list of things that I want to be doing and blogging was near the top so I guess I need to figure it out!

I have done a number of projects since I last posted, including:

• refine my needle felting skills on many a cute hair pretty (I even sold some!)
• make an elaborate Queen of Hearts costume for my best friends Halloween costume wedding
• make a quilt top for my daughter
• super cute dollies for my nieces (can be found at Turtle Weenies)
• gifted a number of hand made (by me and the hubster), plasma cut wall hangings to my family members
• and undoubtedly many more things that I have since forgotten.

Now, let me see if I can’t get some pictures onto this post….

I was very sick with the Swine Flue this day

I actually sold these (pictured clipped to the wall art I made)

Me in the old shop blissfully using the plasma cutter. I get goosebumps just looking at it.

I gave these hair clips to my nieces for xmas with their dollies.

I got the pattern for these ones from one of my favorite blogs, Inside a Black Apple (I will try to figure out how to link to her)

OH! I made the best blanket ever for my 10 year old this winter! I decided I needed to use up my stash of gifted yarn balls that I had been accumulating over the years so I settled on a patch quilt. It did not take long for me to realize that I didn’t have the patience for that! It takes way too much time and energy to make a whole bunch of squares, all the same size out of a whole bunch of different kinds of yarn! So I had the genius idea of crocheting a series of scarves and hooking them together when I was done. That way I could use all kinds of different yarns and as long as I made them the same length it would work out. And I came up with one of the best blankets I have ever made. I tried to keep it for myself because I liked it so much, but he wasn’t having any of that! I will take a picture at some point and post it. And now, I can buy as much new yarn as I want!

xo for now,

H

June 15th, 2010 | Category: Uncategorized | Comments (1)

We bought a fancy new Cannon Rebel Xsi last week because I was complaining about our other little cheapo number being such a pain to use. Its pretty fun to use because you have to (or, can) look through the view finder! Like back in the olden days! I am just figuring out that I need to figure out how to adjust it properly so that I can fit the pictures into my posts!

Here is a little clutch I gave  my sister-in-law for her birthday. I made the pin out of felt and found the bag at Pacific Fabrics super cheap. I plan on learning how to make felted bags eventually but this one was just perfect for an easy gift.  I think that needle felting might just be my little niche. I have been on the hunt for the elusive “thing” that sucks me in and satisfies the creative urge and can start making me some money.

Wow, I really need to blog more. I have almost forgotten how it works!

xo,

Hayla

May 11th, 2009 | Category: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The reason I haven’t posted in such a long time is that I think every blog post should have a picture wish it and my camera has been on the fritz. Sort of. The hubster deleted a series of pics that I took of some Easter bunny party favors that I made, the uber special batteries that our camera needs seem to be always discharged when I go to take a picture. And, do you know how hard it is to try to write a coherent blog with a baby crawling all over your lap and laptop?

So many things have happened in the past few months, the most significant one being the death of my Aunt. She was a lifelong seamstress and quilter. I inherited a significant portion of her stash and have spent the past several weeks sorting and re sorting and organizing it. I got a bunch of fabric, a few unfinished projects which I will blog about later, some embroidery stuff and a couple of quilting books. I had to head back to Ikea and get a few more shelves and storagey devices to manage the stash. It has been pretty emotionally trying going through my aunts stash, touching fabric she once touched and presumably loved enough to buy.  I have been trying to find a way to use the fabric in my own way to honor her and the spirit in which she collected it. Which brings me to my yo~yo mania. One of the great things I found was an enormous stack of 5 inch squares; like a 12 inch stack of them. So I decided to make them into a yo~yo quilt! It takes me about 5 minutes per yo~yo with the little jig I got at my favorite new craft supply store. I am a couple hundred yo~yo’s in and still plugging away. I figure it will take me a few more weeks to finish them and then I can start the fun piecing them together!

till next time~ I promise it wont be as long!

Hayla

April 29th, 2009 | Category: Uncategorized | Comments (1)